Improved liquid composition for bating skins and hides



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH WAGER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF ANDGUSTAVUS GROEZINGER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED LIQUID COMPOSITION FOR BATlNG SKINS AND HlDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 38,267, dated April 21,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH WAGER, of Lancaster, in the county ofLancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improvedmode for batin g skins or hides after being limed preparatory to beingtanned into leather; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, and consists mainly in the materialsemployed and degree-of the strength of the solution in the bating tub or"at.

The skins or hides are first freed from the hair, flesh, and otherextraneous appendages in the lime-vat in the ordinary manner, (takingcare not to waste the gluten in that delicate process.) After the hidesare thus limed it is customary in most tanneries to soak the skins fromfour to six days in water mixed with chickendung, a filthy andprotracted process for removing the lime, endangering also the qualityof the leather by excessive soaking. This process I perform in fifteento twenty minutes byimmersing the skinsin the hate or liquor prepared asfollows: For a batch of fifty sides or heayy hides for harnessleather Iprepare a liquor thus: Take eight pounds .of muriatic acid,(Salzsc't'urc, Germ.,) the hydrochloric acid of commerce; eight poundsof aquafortis, commercial nitric acid, (Salpctersii'urc, Germ.,) andthree pounds of common salt, muriate of soda, (Kochsalz, Germ.) Theseacids and salt are separately added to the water, and more water addeduntil the liquid will indicate the specific density of 369 Baumshydrometer. Heavyhides i111- mersedin thisliquorforfifteen minutes,(though twenty minutes will do no damage.) The lime will be foundexpunged and the texture of the hide restored nearly to its conditionprior to being limed and ready for being introduced to the tannin andthe ordinary handling, the beginning of the actual tanning. For kip andupper leather the bate is reduced to thirty degrees. For calf-skins thehate is still further reduced by water to twenty degrees. These datawill suffice to enable any one skilled in the art of tanning to adaptthe strength to the-condition of the skins of various animals orqualities of weight. The same hating-liquor will answer for sixsuccessive batches of skins, or a proportionate trifling addition of thematerials added will restore the specific gravity desired. The longhating is apt to induce fermentation, and a corresponding Waste ofgluten, which prevents the gain of nearly an equal weight of tanninwhich would otherwise have combined with the gluten and added to thespecimen a firmcrand closer texture, more solid, less pervious, vastlygreater weight, and far more durable in the wear. Thus time is saved byaccomplishingin fifteen minutes, by a clean, inoffensive liquid, at atrifling cost, what it usually takes from four to six days to eli'ectamid stench and labor and producing better results, the value of whichabundantly overpays the cost. Besides the skins are better fitted forthe tan or ooze to be absorbed.

I am aware that chloride of lime and soda have been employed in theprocess of treating hides often without a proper knowledge andproportion.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The materials added to water in the formation of the hate in the mannersubstantially as set forth in the process of treating skins or hides forthe purpose specified.

RUDOLPH WAGER.

Witnesses CHAS. R. FRAILEY, J AGOB STAUFFER.

